The Survival
by Anna Summer Elsa Frost
Summary: Clarke's POV. And eventual Clexa. AU. Clarke is a survivor. And one who ends up in a training center. She has to learn how to survive and fight in order to save the ones she loves. Okay, guys. I suck at summaries. Better just read the story. And I don't own any characters or the original series. This is just my humble creation. Also, new characters will be introduced as per need.
1. Preface

**Preface**

The sticky pungent smell.

The place filled with rats and the house of disease and malice. I wonder how this can be an effective place for training. Maybe they want us to be tough. Immune to such threats of life. Because what we are going to face is way more dangerous than this place offers.

I am escorted to the sewage underground. This is the pre-independence era and I am a girl wanting to live and not just survive. My birth is itself a curse upon me since I am a girl and that too in such conservative environment. From childhood, we are trained how to be good wives to our husbands, how to satisfy them and how to take care of our children. We are not considered as human. We are treated like objects. And my family couldn't do much but to abandon me. Because I'm so stubborn and strong-headed. I don't want to live like a piece of sh*t.

Secondly, the invaders have looted and plundered our once prosperous land from years. I couldn't even fathom the consequences if I stayed at the surface right now. Maybe I would be a victim of trafficking and send to some filthy oversized man for serving him as his sex toy.

But thanks to my brother that I could escape all of it. He is the only closest person to my heart. And I consider him family. Others are just for namesake.

I still remember the way we escaped the horrible nightmare cast in our town. Houses burnt, people died and young women were kidnapped for things that I don't want to even imagine. My brother and I escaped the town somehow and made it past the river overnight. Then he cut off my long blonde hair. Gave me a 'young boy' look. I took off my tunic and wore a worn out pant and shirt just like workers. This was the best disguise available for now. Till we were in some safer location.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Where are we going?" I ask a masked woman walking ahead of me with a rifle in hand.

"To meet the in-charge." She replies sternly without any emotions.

"The in-charge?"

My question is left hanging because she never replies back and silence is lulled.

A door opens up and we enter a rather dark place. Seriously this sewage area is so different. It's closed for one and has enough place for a small village to fit in. I realize I am gawking the area.

"This place is not meant for everyone." A voice cuts my train of thought. Stern. Cold. Emotionless.

I look at the person. An old worn out lady. An inch smaller than me. But eyes boring deep within my being. Threatening.

" _She's the in-charge?_ "

My thoughts are again interrupted when she starts speaking again.

"I'm the in-charge of this place. As much of a fragile being, you may be thinking I am, I'm completely on the contrary. That being said, you're assigned your first task as your screening test."

And before I can realize what is happening, I am dragged by the woman soldier and pushed into what-seems-like a dungeon. The in-charge comes to me with an infant cradled in her hand and she hands it over to me.

"Keep it safe."

"What?"

And before the words seep in, the door of the dungeon closes leaving me and the infant behind in the darkness.

I feel the infant shaking in fear. It's a little boy. And he's unable to cry. _Why?_

And then I get a familiar smell. A smell of choked lungs with cold and spit. He's having a high fever. _Goddamn woman, what were you even thinking? You could have left me alone in this place but why this poor thing?_

I hold him close to me. His shaking somewhat seizes. I don't care what disease he's suffering and I don't give a damn if it's contagious. I just don't want to let this life die in front of me when he hasn't even seen the first light of freedom.

I get a sense of emotions overwhelming me. My brother said to me once that, "never ever give away to your emotions if you want to survive."

I really do love him. But I can't follow just this one rule of his. I know I am a fighter. We both are. We have been through a lot together. But all I know is that I can't give up on something so important. Something so meaningful. Something which gives me every day the hope to live. And that is Love.

And the world can treat me with all its cruelty but that doesn't mean I become one of the savages.

In that way maybe I am weak. Or maybe Love is after all weakness. But to hell with it. I will save this kid. I just have to figure out how.

I wrap my jacket around him and cover him up. Then I hear a hissing sound. The familiar sound of something crawling in the darkness. And for God's sake, I hear a lot of them approaching us. I take out my lighter from the pant pocket and light it only to get devastated by the current scenario. Snakes. And a lot of them. I don't know if they are poisonous or not. All I know if my day ends here, I need to save the child anyhow. I see a stick on the floor and a burnt out lantern. An idea plays in my mind.

I lift up the stick and wrap it up with a piece of my shirt and check the lantern to find some oil still present. I break the whole thing and let the oil seep in through the fabric on the stick. And then I light my torch with my lighter. And yes, that helps a little. The place gets illuminated and I see the snakes back out a little. The infant looks over from my other arm in wonder. The flames burning bright and red.

And I keep swishing it so that the snakes go back to their respective holes.

And for some fortunate turn of events, all the snakes crawl back to their holes. I see a pit in one of the walls and put the torch there. My focus shifts back to the baby. His fever is still high although the shaking has stopped. I take out some herbs I got on my way. I didn't think I will need them. Now I thank myself for being thoughtful enough. Before the apocalypse, my brother had studied quite vividly about herbology. Although I was the daughter of the royal family, I didn't get the chance to study. He was my method of learning.

Now I secretly thank him for that.

I mash the herbs in my hand and carefully open up the baby's mouth.

"Open your mouth, honey. Be a good boy." I coo. And to a certain extent, it works. He gulps most of it only to throw out the remaining. Then finally, after a long wait, he starts crying. I check on him. His fever is leaving and that's why maybe he's feeling uneasy so he's whining and screaming.

"Shhuu….It's going to be alright. Don't worry sweetheart, I'll keep you safe" I continue whispering into his ears and slowly he lulls into sleep.

Minutes pass by or I don't realize, maybe hours? The torch is going to get dimmer within another hour or so. I try to think of my next move. How to get through with this night.

I am not kept waiting for long as the door opens up. The boy gets startled and starts crying. I again shush him back to sleep. And right before me, I see the just-introduced face. The in-charge.

"I see. You could successfully make it through the past fuck*ng five hours, huh?"

"I guess."

"How's the boy?"

"He's doing well."

"Surprisingly. I didn't think he would make it through one hour or so. Here, hand him to me."

I reluctantly hand him over. She continues with her rant.

"You got emotionally involved with him within some hours?"

"I am only human."

"Better change that when you're here."

My blood boils up. I can't contain my anger anymore. And so I burst out.

"Better if I leave this place. Because I won't ever change that for anyone. I won't stop being human."

"Then you'll die." She replies wickedly.

"Then so be it." I reply back.

Her eyes flicker with something strange. Something I didn't realize I could see at least in her eyes. Vulnerability.

And that's just for a fraction of second before the coldness overshadows it.

"Get ready for tomorrow for the second test."

I can't believe this. _Did I pass it?_

She answers to my inner query.

"You passed your screening test. Now go get some sleep. We will meet tomorrow at dawn. Be prepared. The next one is going to be tougher."

And with that, we leave the dungeon.

The torch still flickers as we leave.


	3. Chapter 2

**The First meeting**

* * *

 _In the near future….._

 _Soul mates? I never believed in it. Until that time. And now that feeling has grown stronger and firmer as our lips are joined together in a searing kiss, tongues dancing for dominance and hands roaming all over._

 _All of a sudden, the world has shrunk to just the two of us._

 _I see you, my love._

 _I had always known and from that very moment, my heart had belonged to you._

* * *

Present…..

Dawn approaches pretty quickly or maybe it is just me waiting for my unknown fate. I am walking with a group of women. Each of us is survivors. And perhaps from very different regions of the country. But there's no way to know that. Not yet. When first we don't know what task we will be assigned and secondly the in-charge is walking right ahead of us.

We come to a clearing as the sewage area ends. It seems like the outskirts of the village. Unsurprisingly, we are standing right in the middle of a forest.

"Everyone. Pay attention." The in-charge commands and all of us shift our gazes towards her.

"Your task is right there awaiting you all." She smirks evilly and points towards a cave. The cave is pretty normal except for the fact that the entrance is shielded by metallic bars. It's similar to a cage binding something inside of it. And as soon as we come to see what it is, we realize that we are in grave danger.

The beast named Pauna resembles a giant gorilla and from the dead bodies scattered across the cave, we know that she's a man-eater.

"This is our task?! To kill the freaking beast?!" I almost yell anxiously.

"Hell yeah. Now, who's willing to go first after we open up the metal door?" the in-charge replies.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"No, I'm not. Now, you should know by now that I don't like your stubborn attitude. So get your ass right there and kill it."

"No. I won't. And I won't allow any of us to go there." I clearly state my decision.

The in-charge then hisses,

"Then you need to convince our commander which I doubt you can. So back off now from your decision."

"Never."

"Very well. Prepare for the worst then." She spills those words as if cursing me. I hardly care. I am actually prepared for the worst. And I don't care whoever this Commander is. I just know that this is just insanity whatever that person had assigned us to do.

The in-charge leaves us with some soldiers for a while only to return with someone. I'm so conflicted right now that I don't even notice who just came until she stands right in front of me.

"Clarke?"

Her voice is sharp. Stern. Her expression- stoic. Hazel eyes gravitating deep within my being as something just clicks inside my heart. Brunette hair in thin braids which is a little out of my sight as they might be falling like a curtain over her shoulder and back. Her lips forming a thin line as brows slightly curved downwards showing her anger but nonetheless her shimmering eyes showing her calm over this situation. The way she called my name, I really want to hear her say it again. And then I realize I had been ogling her so I quickly avert my gaze and stutter.

"Y-Yes?"

"You have shown some hesitation to the task I had assigned?"

Then I suddenly regain my senses and say

"Yes. Because I feel it's really ridiculous to do something like that. I mean we all will get killed in the process."

"That's what I want to see. If you all get killed then you're not fit for this place."

I feel my inner rage bubbling and although there is a myriad of things I could just say, I just can't.

"There must be an alternative. "I manage to reply.

She smirks. Not in an evil kind of way but I-know-it-all kind of way.

"There is. But it would be tougher."

"At least you could propose it."

"Very well. The alternative is- you have to fight one-on-one with me. If you win, then I will take each of you in here. And if you lose, then we will release the beast to eat you all up." She replies coldly.

"Alright. I agree."

And then I look at the others. They nod in affirmation.

The Commander continues,

"The rules are simple. We fight with weapons, you can choose any weapon of your choice. I will spare your life though and keep it simple for you. If I succeed in bruising or cutting you five times then you lose. Is that clear?" she asks sternly.

"Yes. And when do you lose?"

She gives a mischievous small smile and replies,

"If you bruise or cut me even a single time or my weapon falls down from my hand, then I will accept my defeat."

I have no idea why am I doing this. I don't know a thing about weapons except for handling guns. I see swords and spearheads lined up in the queue over a rock as the Commander selects two swords. I convince myself that I'm doing the right thing for all of us and hesitantly pick up two swords from the left out weapons.

The Commander smirks again.

"Very well then. Let the battle begin."

And so we are standing in the center with the crowds of survivors and soldiers circling us both to watch.

Before I can coherently think what is happening, the Commander starts swinging her swords and within two of her moves, I feel swift pain in my shoulder blades and hands as blood gush out from the four places she cut.

"It would get over before you even know it." She whispers mockingly.

I feel myself getting frustrated by all of it and I charge at her. Both of my swords meet with her swords into a fierce battle for dominance. I am giving all of my energy into it so that one of her sword falls down. But she's strong. Very strong. I know I don't stand a chance. She has skills. I don't. I need to invest my intellect and so I do.

We now are in close proximity from the position we are in.

And there was no mention of any restrictions in using any other weapons to bruise her, right? Why not use something which is naturally given to me?

With a swift motion, I graze my teeth deep into the exposed skin of her neck. I can taste something metallic as she groans loudly in pain as her hands come to a halt and one of the sword falls down with a clinking sound. She shivers as I faintly hear a soft moan escape her mouth. Or maybe I'm imagining things.

I release my mouth from her neck as I know I have successfully defeated her. She glances at my face with complete shock. But there's a hint of something else. No, I'm imagining things again.

Her cold façade returns back and she silently lifts up the fallen sword and walks away stating,

"Each of you. Report at dawn for your training session starting from tomorrow."

I then look at everyone else. Same surprise look on their faces. And I find the face of the in-charge the most amusing. She's completely unable to believe what just transpired.

To be honest, I'm myself unable to believe what I just did.

* * *

 ** _Clarke- So that was our first meeting. Lol. I gave you a love bite._**

 ** _Lexa- Infront of everyone, you shameless little brat._**

 ** _Clarke- You liked it. I know ;)_**

 ** _Lexa- Shut up -_-_**


End file.
